


The One You Love Most: A Swan Queen Retrospective

by Queenbee3480



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-14 11:20:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29666475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queenbee3480/pseuds/Queenbee3480
Summary: A look at the evolution of the relationship between Emma and Regina through a series of less than sober conversations.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Comments: 5
Kudos: 78





	The One You Love Most: A Swan Queen Retrospective

**Author's Note:**

> (Very) Loosely based on a picture floating around the internet in which a villain creates a machine to locate someone the hero loves so they can destroy them. Plot twist: the machine points the way back to the villain.

_January 2012_

“The usual, Madame Mayor?”

The question was unnecessary, but Regina nodded anyway and thanked Ruby as she laid her money on the counter. She wasn’t sure when she had developed a “usual”, but apparently, she had. She enjoyed cooking for herself and Henry, but it seemed pointless when it was just for her, so every Thursday when Henry was at therapy with Archie, she treated herself to take-out dinner at Granny’s diner.

“So…what’s the usual?”

“Sherriff.”

“Madame Mayor.”

Emma took the seat beside the Mayor, who stiffened immediately at her presence.

“Come on, Madame Mayor, don’t be like that.”

She sneered in response. “You’re drunk, Sherriff.”

“And you’re stuck up. What’s your point?”

“My _point,_ Sherriff, is that the cruiser is parked outside, not your personal vehicle. Given your history, do you blame me for my concern for city property?”

“Nice. So, I guess you don’t care about my safety, just the car? What if I died, Regina? How would you feel then?”

“You won’t die, Miss Swan. I’m not that lucky.”

Emma snorted back a laugh at that and waved Ruby over for her 4th shot of the night. “Well, no worries, Madame Mayor. I’m walking tonight. In fact…” She fished her car keys out of her pocket and handed them to Regina. “Here you go. You keep them.”

Regina placed the keys in her pocket and accepted the take-out container that Ruby was holding out her.

“Grilled salmon and veggies? Figures.”

“Good night, Sherriff. Try and make sure that you can make it work in the morning, please.”

“Bitch.” The last bit was added under her breath as the Mayor walked away, but from the way she stopped walking for a moment, Emma was pretty sure she had heard her.

\---------------------------------

_February 2012_

“Stupid playground.”

Ruby shot her a look of sympathy and slid a drink across the bar.

“Thanks.”

“You know…”

“What?”

Taking in the storm cloud on the blonde’s face, she decided against saying anything. “Never mind.”

She downed the drink in one gulp and slammed the glass down on the bar with a grunt. “Another.”

“Perhaps you’ve had enough, Sherriff.”

The familiar voice ignited her rage once more. “Mind your own business, Regina.”

“Interesting advice from a woman that just stormed my council meeting with accusations she acquired by sticking in her nose in my business.” Emma ignored her and motioned to Ruby once more for another drink. “Seriously, Sherriff. Don’t you think you’ve had enough?”

“Why do you care?”

_Good question_

“I don’t care, Miss Swan.” She watched in some amusement as Emma polished off the drink Ruby placed in front of her and turned her attention to the waitress. “You will ensure she gets home safely?” At Ruby’s nod, she left Emma alone in the bar.

\---------------------------------

_April 2012_

“I think it’s a bit early to be indulging in your usual fare, Sherriff.”

“You locked up my best friend for a murder she didn’t commit.”

“No, Sherriff. You did that.” She turned her back on Emma and ordered a burger for Henry and grilled salmon for herself and left the diner. She went home to give Henry his dinner and made sure he did his homework.

“Come on, Henry. We’re going out.”

Henry put his book down and looked at her in confusion. “Now? Its 10:00.”

“Now, Henry.”

“Where are we going?”

“To my office,” she improvised. “I left something there that I need to take care of tonight.”

When they were in the car, she took the long way around to City Hall.

“Mom? This isn’t the way to your office.”

“Yes, I know. I’ve decided not to go after all. The papers can wait until morning. Let’s go home.”

He shrugged in acquiescence. He had long since stopped trying to figure his mother out. She was the Evil Queen, after all. She didn’t deserve his attention.

Regina turned the car around and headed back to Mifflin Street. She had accomplished what she set out to do. Emma’s bedroom light was on and she could see her shadow moving around behind the curtains.

\---------------------------------

_December 2012_

“Been a while, Madame Mayor.”

She ignored the blonde and focused on her drink. Since Emma and Snow had returned from the Enchanted Forest, she had been indulging almost every night. Normally, she drank alone at the mansion but tonight the quiet had threatened to drive her insane and she decided to come to the diner.

“Regina?”

“What do you want, Miss Swan?”

“Just….thank you.”

She reached into her purse and pulled some money from her wallet. Suddenly, the quiet at Mifflin Street didn’t seem so bad. “Shouldn’t you be taking care of my son, Sherriff?”

Emma closed her eyes briefly and tried to stifle a sigh. “He’s at home with my parents. I just came to get dinner for us.”

“Yes,” Regina said, standing up. “I suspected your cooking skills left something to be desired.”

“Seriously, Regina. Absorbing that curse at the well couldn’t have been easy. Thank you.”

“I didn’t do it for you, Miss. Swan. Henry asked me to do it.”

“I know.” Boy, did she know. The idea of Regina doing something nice for her out of the goodness of her heart was absurd. “But thank you anyway. I’m sure it was difficult to accomplish.”

She took her time walking to the door of the diner, not wanting Emma to see just how weak her body still was, even a week after she had absorbed the curse. “You’re welcome.”

“Can I drive you home, Regina? You don’t look so good.”

“I’m fine,” she insisted. The combination of her weakened physical state and the alcohol she had indulged in made the practice of magic a bad idea, but the thought of staying at the diner a moment longer was a lot worse. She flicked her wrist and disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke, leaving Emma and the worried look in her eyes behind.

\---------------------------------

_March 2013_

“How long has she been like this?”

“About an hour,” Ruby replied. “I wouldn’t have called you except she won’t answer me when I try to ask her if she’s ok. I know she’s the Queen and all, but I was worried.”

“You did the right thing, Ruby. Thanks.”

Emma walked over to the bar where a familiar brunette sat unmoving, head in her hands.

“Regina?”

There was no indication that the woman heard her, but Emma didn’t let that stop her. “Come on, Regina. Let’s get you home.” She put a hand on her shoulder, causing the Mayor to flinch.

“Leave me alone, Emma.”

“Yeah, not gonna do that, Regina. Let me drive you home.”

She sighed, too tired to argue. “Come on, then.”

When they arrived at the mansion, Emma waited for the Mayor to unbuckle her seatbelt and let herself out of the car. Instead, the woman sat still, seemingly unaware that they had arrived at their destination.

“We’re here, Regina.”

Regina ignored that. “Why did you come get me tonight?”

“I’m the Sherriff. It’s my job.”

“I wasn’t being disorderly,” she pointed out. “I’m not even really that drunk, just tired. Hardly cause to call the Sherriff.”

Emma didn’t answer and at last Regina began to prepare to exit the vehicle. Emma watched her walk towards the door of her home, then followed her.

“Wait.”

She turned around, confused. “What is it?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Oh?” Her eyebrow raised at that. “For what, Miss Swan? Do elaborate, please.”

“I don’t know. All of it, I guess?”

“I see.” She turned back to her home and continued walking.

“I mean it, Regina. Accusing you of murdering Archie was wrong. I should have listened to my instincts.”

She shrugged lightly and unlocked her front door. “Bygones, Miss Swan.” She was only slightly surprised when Emma followed her into her home.

“Seriously, Emma? You can stand down. I’m home safely.”

Acting as though she hadn’t heard her, Emma watched as she set her personal items down on the hallway table and made her way inside.

“I feel as though I should apologize for Cora, too.”

“Why? You weren’t the one that killed her.”

“That’s true, but…” Her voice trailed off and she looked over at Regina who was waiting patiently for her to finish her thought.

“But what?”

“What Snow White did….It’s unconscionable.”

Regina made her way into the study and poured them both a glass of cider. They drank together in silence for a moment before she spoke again, never looking up from her glass.

“I would have done the same in Snow’s shoes. Cora was going after her family. I’m not really angry at her for killing my mother.”

“But you are angry at the way she did it?”

She didn’t respond, unsure of how to communicate the devastation of the moment she had seen the light come back in her mother’s eyes only to watch the life get snuffed out of them seconds later.

“You didn’t deserve that, Regina, no matter what you or anyone else thinks.”

Still, she didn’t respond, and Emma gave up. “Good night, Regina.”

“Good night.”

\---------------------------------

_May 2013_

“I thought you don’t do rum.”

“Not with the Charmings and a pirate for drinking companions, no.”

She laughed and reached her hand out for the flask that Regina had pilfered after the group had gone to bed for the night.

“I can understand your dislike of my parents, but what did Hook do to you?”

Regina took the flask back after Emma helped herself to a generous swig. She sipped a bit more delicately than her blonde companion before answering. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Doesn’t it?”

The rum having gone to her head a bit, she chuckled. “No. He’s never hidden the fact that he’s a survivor. The fact that he ran to save his own skin and left me in the hands of Greg and Tamara is hardly a surprise.”

She took in the surprised look on the Savior’s face. “You didn’t know.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Oh.” She took another sip and put the flask in Emma’s outstretched hand. “Well, it can hardly be a shock. This is the same man that abandoned us all to our fate to ensure he would survive.”

“He came back, though.”

“That he did, Miss Swan. It appears you have managed to successfully turn the pirate’s head. Nice work.”

Emma ignored that. “What did they do to you? Greg and Tamara.”

“Ask your mother,” she replied. “She felt it, too.”

“I’m asking _you.”_

She shifted her position and took another drink. For a moment, Emma thought she wasn’t going to respond, but she did, her voice flat and unemotional. “Electric shock.”

She winced, thinking of the state Regina had been in when they found her. “I’m sorry, Regina.”

“It’s over and done with now.”

She wondered briefly how often Regina had said that in her life. “Why did you agree to sacrifice your life in the mines to save us?”

She was sure that Regina would say that it was to save Henry, but she was wrong.

“I’m tired.”

Emma had no idea if she meant she was tired at the moment or if that had been the answer to her question. “In the mines, you asked me to let you die as Regina.”

“What of it, Sherriff?”

“I was just thinking. Maybe you don’t have to die to be Regina. Maybe you can try living as Regina, instead.”

Regina thought about that for a moment, then put the flask down and stood up. “I think I have had enough for one night. Good night, Miss Swan.”

\---------------------------------

_May 2013 (part 2)_

“We have to stop meeting like this, Miss Swan.”

“Very funny. How’s Henry?”

Regina shrugged. “Fine. He’s at home waiting on me. I should probably head there as well.”

“Maybe it’s best that he wanted to stay with you for a while.”

“You say that with so much conviction, I _almost_ believe you.”

She chuckled at that, but her eyes remained fixed on her beer. Regina sat next to her and motioned Ruby to bring her a water. “Would you like to talk about it?”

“Not really.”

She remained seated at the bar for a few more minutes, but the blonde did not elaborate. “Come on, Emma. Talk to me.”

“It’s been a bad few weeks,” Emma replied moodily. “And now we’re finally home and he doesn’t want anything to do with me.”

Regina nodded in understanding. “It hurts. I know.” It would have been well in character for her to rub Emma’s face in it, but somehow, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Emma read her face perfectly. “But look who I’m talking to, right? You know better than anyone how much it sucks when he rejects you.”

“It does. For what it’s worth, though, he’ll come around soon. He adores you.”

“You’re a lot more generous than I was when this position was reversed.”

“Perhaps.” Generosity actually came fairly naturally to her. She wasn’t selfish by nature. Cruel and vengeful, sure, but not selfish. She had always found it easy to give of herself to others.

“Besides, it’s not like I blame him, anyway. Of course, he feels safer with you.”

“What does that mean?”

“You’re the one that saved him.”

She stood up and touched Emma’s shoulder for a second. “We both saved him.”

“Not really. I was supposed to be the leader, but I had no idea what to do. He would be dead if it weren’t for you.”

She felt the cold tingle of dread in heart as she thought back to Henry lying still on the floor of the cave. It had been the scariest moment of her life and she didn’t particularly want to think about it anymore.

“Can I offer you a ride home, Sherriff?”

“No, I think I’ll stay here and feel sorry for myself a while longer.”

Regina prepared to leave the diner. “Don’t stay too long, Emma. I’ll bring him by the loft in the morning.”

\---------------------------------

_April 2014_

“Why am I not surprised to see you here?”

“Come on, Regina. I haven’t been to the diner in a year.”

She laughed at the absurdity of the statement. “I hardly think this past year counts, Miss Swan.”

“Says you.”

“Besides, why the hell are _you_ drinking? I’m the one he has no memory of.”

Emma opened her mouth to argue, then nodded in agreement. “Fair enough.” She waved Ruby over. “What’s your poison?”

“Whiskey. Neat.”

She accepted the glass Ruby slid across the bar and clinked it against Emma’s in a toast. Emma downed her drink, feeling the familiar burn sliding down her throat.

“God, I’ve missed this.”

“Do they not have whiskey in New York?”

“Not the whiskey, Regina. _This._ The diner. You, giving me shit for drinking here by myself.”

“How can you miss something you didn’t remember having in the first place?”

_Good question._

“Beats me, Regina. But, if I’m honest, I was definitely missing _something_. Even if I didn’t know what it was.”

Regina considered that for a moment. “Well, I don’t remember anything of the last year, but somehow I find that I’ve missed this, too. Strange, isn’t it?”

“Not that strange.”

Regina laughed. “I suppose not,” she agreed and lifted her glass for another toast.

\---------------------------------

_May 2014_

“Go away, Swan.”

“I’m sorry, Regina.”

Regina shook her head, but the memory of Robin’s face when he saw his wife was still lodged firmly in her brain. “It doesn’t matter if you’re sorry. Just leave me alone.”

“Regina…”

She shook her head a second time. “Please. Just go.”

Emma didn’t move and Regina lost her temper. “Damn it, Swan! Haven’t you done enough? You’ve already ruined my life. Can’t you just leave me to live out what’s left of it in peace?”

Mouth dropped open in shock, Emma didn’t move when Regina slammed her glass down on the bar and stood up to leave.

“Regina, please.”

Regina didn’t answer, just stormed out of the diner.

“I’m sorry,” Emma whispered again.

\---------------------------------

_June 2014_

“You’re confusing me with my mother. Besides you don’t need a speech. You need a drinking buddy.” She grinned at the surprised look on Regina’s face. “Shots?”

“Sure. Why not?”

The first pair of shots went down smoothly as Regina felt her nerves begin to settle a little bit.

“If it helps, Rumpelstiltskin is miserable, too.”

She laughed heartily at that. “It does.” They clinked their glasses together and downed the second pair of shots.

“Mom! Mom! You need to see this.”

Henry’s excitement was palpable, and Emma could see Regina start to give him her attention.

“Not tonight, kid. Your mom and I are busy.”

“It’s important.”

“It will still be there tomorrow, right? Go home, kid. Your mom and I have plans.”

After he left, Emma ordered another round of shots for them, watching as Regina’s eyes followed their son out the door. “He’ll be fine, Regina.”

“I don’t like it when you speak for me, Emma.”

“Look, I love the kid, but he needs to give you some space. You’re entitled to adult time.”

“You just want me to drink with you.”

She shrugged, not denying the truth of that. “I like hanging out with you. We haven’t done it in a while.”

“We haven’t done it at all, Emma.” Shots 4 and 5 followed her statement in succession, causing the room to start spinning. Emma grinned impishly at her when she tried to stand and promptly grabbed hold of the bar for support.

“You wanna talk about Robin leaving now?”

“Oh, god no. Anything but that.”

“Good. I was hoping you would say that. You wanna dance, Madame Mayor?”

Regina raised an eyebrow at her when she tried to stand up as well and ended up just sliding gracelessly down from the bar stool. “Can you even walk, Sherriff?”

“Hey! I resent that. I can walk just fine.” To prove her point, she spun around in place and promptly fell down.

“This should be fun,” she snickered. “Come on, Sherriff, show me your moves.”

Ruby and Snow watched in some amusement as the two women attempted to dance, but mostly just spun around in a circle and bumped into each other a lot. “Should we stop them?” Ruby asked.

Snow waved her hand dismissively. “Why? They’re not hurting anyone and they’re having fun. I say leave them be.”

Ruby raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Who knew you had it in you not to meddle?” she asked.

“Shut up,” she said with absolutely no malice as she watched the pair dance.

When the music died down at last, the two women walked to a table. “Are you ready to head out, Regina?”

There was no response and when she looked across the table, Regina was rubbing her hand on her forehead. “Regina? Are you ok?”

“I miss him, Emma.” The sentence came out as the saddest whisper Emma had ever heard. Quickly she reached across the table and grabbed the Mayor’s hand.

“I know.”

\---------------------------------

_May 2015_

The glass shattered against the mirror with a satisfying smash. That god damn woman. What the hell had she been thinking?

_“You’ve worked too hard to have your happiness destroyed.”_

Desperately trying to erase the image of the darkness enveloping her best friend, she threw items across her vault in anger. It did nothing to make the memory fade, but it was helping take the edge off her rage.

She knew Robin was worried about her, but she couldn’t think about that right now. She had left him with the others in the middle of the street after Emma disappeared, telling them that she was going to find a way to open a portal so they could follow her. Once in her vault, she had let her anger out.

_“You’ve worked too hard to have your happiness destroyed.”_

Damn Savior. What did she know about her happiness anyway? Who was she to decide what Regina needed to be happy? She looked at the bottle of whiskey in the corner of her vault with longing. She needed to stay clear headed to save Emma, but damn if that didn’t look tempting.

Crossing the room in 2 steps, she poured herself a drink as the scene replayed itself again.

The pull of the darkness as it started to overtake her.

The look of horror on Robin’s face as he stood frozen in fear.

The group running up to see what was happening.

The idiot Savior rushing in and pulling the darkness into herself. _“You’ve worked too hard to have your happiness destroyed.”_

“Damnit Emma!” She threw the now empty glass across the room, hoping it would feel more cleansing than the first one she had thrown.

_How the hell am I supposed to be happy without you?_

\---------------------------------

_September 2015_

“I wondered how long it would take,” Emma snickered.

“I suppose it was inevitable,” Regina agreed.

“Drinking in Camelot. That’s a new one.”

Their words were light, but the air was heavy between them.

“Emma, I-“

Emma pushed a glass of wine in her direction. “It’s not whiskey, but it’s not half bad.”

“Emma…”

“Try it,” she insisted.

Regina took a sip. “I’ve had worse. Emma, I need to say something.”

Staring moodily at her drink, Emma shook her head. “I know what you want to say, Regina. Why do you think I keep interrupting you?”

She fought the temper rising inside of her. “You’re seriously not going to let me speak?”

“Come on, Regina. How many more times do you think we are going to have the opportunity to do this?”

“Do what?”

“Have some fun, of course. Drink with me.”

“I _am_ drinking with you.”

“No, you’re having a few sips of wine. Let loose a little. We’re villains, after all.”

Hurt, she put the glass down and stood up to leave. Emma laughed at her.

“Come on, Regina. We’re the Dark One and the Evil Queen. Can’t we just enjoy ourselves? Or am I not allowed to call you a villain anymore?

Regina didn’t respond, just stared at the woman that had saved her life for a moment longer before walking away. The voice that followed her was so quiet, she had to stop and strain to hear it.

“It’s that look in your eyes, Regina. Everyone is looking at me that way, like they’re afraid I’m going to break or something.”

She stormed back towards the table and sat down again. “You’re not going to break, Emma. I won’t let you.”

“I couldn’t let you break, either.”

That Emma was at last acknowledging what had happened that night in Storybrooke, broke her heart and filled her with relief all at the same time. “Emma, please. I know you don’t want to talk about, but please just let me say thank you and I promise not to bring it up again.”

“I don’t want your thanks. Just the promise you made me earlier.”

Regina nodded and let it go. “Ok, then. I will keep my promise and stop you if it becomes necessary. But you need to promise me something, too.”

“What?”

She refilled her empty glass, then eyeing Emma’s glass, poured some more in hers as well. “Promise me that you won’t let it become necessary.”

\---------------------------------

_March 2016_

“This place is weird.”

“The diner? Or the Underworld in general?”

Emma waved her glass around to indicate her surroundings. “Pick one.”

“It is a little strange,” she agreed. “But I have to say that I am surprised to see you here.”

“Seriously? We’ve been doing this for 3 years, Regina. It can’t be that surprising.”

She laughed as she ordered a whiskey from the Blind Witch. “That is true, but I meant that I am surprised you would take a break from searching for your pirate.”

“Yeah. About that.” She put her glass down on the bar and turned away from her companion.

“What is it, Emma? Are you having second thoughts?”

“No, of course not. I’m where I am supposed to be. It’s the rest of you that I am struggling with.”

Regina frowned in confusion. “We wanted to come with you, Emma.”

“No, I know that. It’s just…”

“Just what?”

“Never mind. Just promise me you won’t let Henry get hurt.”

She laughed again at that. “Henry? I can’t keep track of what that boy does. He’s as impulsive as his mother.”

“Which one?”

She waved her glass, imitating Emma’s earlier gesture. “Pick one.”

“Seriously, Regina. I’m sorry you got stuck being down here with me. You should be up there in Storybrooke with Robin and Henry, enjoying your happy ending.”

_You’ve worked too hard to have your happiness destroyed._

“I’m where I’m supposed to be as well, Emma. “

\---------------------------------

_May 2016_

“Regina.”

“Not now.”

“Regina, please. Don’t shut me out. You need your friends right now.”

She felt the pain wash over her again, hoped that maybe this would finally be the drink that numbed it a little. “I said no.”

Emma sat down next to her. “Ok. If you don’t want to talk right now, we don’t have to. But I’m not going anywhere Regina. And when you come out the other side of this, I’ll still be here.”

She ignored her and ordered another whiskey. She had long since lost count of how many that was, but what did it matter? She didn’t have any plans.

She never had any plans again for the rest of her life.

She glanced over to the next bar stool, at the woman seated there. Still looking straight ahead, she ordered another drink and pushed it down the bar for her companion.

\---------------------------------

_April 2, 2017_

“Well, you got what you wanted. I’m crying.”

“That’s not what we wanted.” Regina and Snow gathered Emma in an embrace, but Regina could feel that the Savior wasn’t listening to them. She motioned for Snow to follow her away from Emma.

“Go home to Neal, Snow. I’ll stay with her.”

“I’m her mother. I should be here with her.”

“She doesn’t want to fall apart in front of you. Trust me on this. I’ll make sure she gets home all right.”

Snow agreed and once she was gone, Regina waved the bartender back over.

“What are you doing?”

“Well, you can keep crying into that beer if you want, Swan or we can have a real drink. Your choice.”

Emma smirked at her, enjoying the change in mood. “Bring it on.”

3 shots of whiskey later, Emma had forgotten she was sad and was focused on being pissed off.

“Stupid pirate.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

“Did you know that he killed my grandfather?”

Ok, so that one was a surprise. “Stupid fucking pirate.”

Emma giggled. “You said fucking.”

“Is that such a surprise?”

“I’ve never heard you curse before.”

“Well, there is a first time for everything, Miss Swan. Now finish your drink. It’s time to get you home.”

\---------------------------------

_April 3, 2017_

“Emma? Is something wrong?”

“Why is that always the first thing your mind goes to?”

She frowned and shut the door to the vault behind Emma. “You never come to the vault unless something is wrong, Emma.”

“Ok, fair point. But no, nothing is wrong.”

Relaxing a bit, she conjured an extra chair for Emma and motioned for her to sit down. “Well then, what can I do for you?”

“It’s about last night.”

That offered no insight whatsoever, so Regina waited for her to elaborate. When no more information was forthcoming, she nodded in encouragement.

“Last night, Emma?”

“Yeah. I know that I had a lot to drink, so I need your help with something.”

“Do you need a reminder of what was said or something you might have done? I indulged as well, Emma, so my memory is a bit fuzzy, but I don’t recall anything you need to worry about.”

“No, nothing like that.” She held out a shell and Regina took it from her and turned it over in curiosity.

“What’s this?”

“It was in Hook’s stuff. When I got home last night, I could have sworn I heard his voice coming through there and I was just trying to figure out if something like that was possible or if I was just hammered.”

“Ah, I see. Well, let’s have a look, shall we?”

She took the shell over to the worktable and set about analyzing it. Emma watched her work in silence for a while before she felt like she had to say something.

“Thank you for last night, Regina.”

Regina looked up from her work with a puzzled look. “What are you thanking me for? You were sad, we had a few drinks and went home. Hardly the first time that has happened.”

“Probably won’t be the last. No, I meant thank you for getting my mother to leave. It’s easier when it is just you and me.”

“Indeed. But I’ve finished analyzing your little trinket there and I can say with relative certainty that is definitely magical. The magic in it is depleted now, though.”

“So, was he speaking to me through it or not?”

“Well, I wasn’t there, Emma, so I have no idea. But if you are asking me if it is possible, then the answer is yes. He could have communicated with you using this last night. What did you hear him say?”

“He said he didn’t leave. That he was taken, and he was trying to find his way back to me.”

Despite herself, Regina felt her heart sink a bit. “I see.”

“Regina?”

“Yes?” She was sure she knew what was coming, but it still hurt a bit when Emma made her request.

“Will you help me find him?”

“Is that what you want?”

For a moment, she thought Emma would change her mind, but she nodded determinedly instead.

“Yes.”

“All right, then. Give me a few days to see what I can come up with.”

\---------------------------------

_April 6, 2017_

Regina took a deep breath and walked inside the Sherriff’s office. Charming offered her a welcoming smile and asked her if she wanted something to drink while she waited for Emma to come back from the call she was on. She refused politely and sat down, wondering if Emma would be long.

“What brings you by, Regina?”

She wondered how much to tell him. The news that Hook had killed his father couldn’t have been easy and she wasn’t sure how he would feel about the fact that Emma wanted him to come back. She decided to keep things quiet for now and let Emma explain it to him in her own time.

“Emma asked for my help with something.”

“Ok. You sure you don’t want a cup of coffee or something?”

She shook her head once again. She wasn’t always sure exactly where she stood with Charming. She and Snow had worked things out, and David seemed to be ok going along with his wife’s acceptance of her, but the two of them had not sat down and discussed their issues.

She was relieved when Emma came and greeted her.

“Hello, Emma. I have an update on the request you made of me a few days ago.”

Emma’s eyes flickered to her father’s and she understood at once. “It’s not something I can show you here. We need to be outdoors.” With a flick of her wrist, she transported them to a nearby empty field.

“Thanks, Regina.”

She shrugged. “I was actually telling the truth. We need to be outdoors for this particular spell.”

“What spell?”

She reached into the bag she was carrying and pulled out an arrow. “This one.”

“What is that?”

“This,” she replied, pulling a bow out of the bag as well, “is Cupid’s arrow.”

“Where the hell did you get Cupid’s arrow?” If she had been paying more attention, she would have noticed that Emma looked suddenly nervous, but she was mostly just looking to get this over with.

“I’ve had it for years, as a matter of fact. But I once placed it under an enchantment that made it useless for our purposes.”

“So, then what good is it?”

“The enchantment recently lifted,” she explained. She didn’t go into detail about how her acceptance of her true self had restored the arrow’s true purpose. Learning to love herself had many unintended benefits, it seemed.

“Ok.” Emma accepted the explanation with a shrug. “What will it do?”

“When you shoot this arrow, it leads you to gaze upon the person you love most,” she explained. Emma began to back away.

“Won’t….won’t that just lead me to Henry?”

She snorted at that. “It’s _Cupid’s_ arrow, Miss Swan. If it leads us to Henry, then I’m afraid I can’t allow him to spend the night at your house anymore.”

“Regina!”

She laughed and handed the bow and arrow over to Emma. “Go ahead and shoot, Emma. This will work.”

“Um, ok…but….”

“But what?”

“Um…Hook isn’t in our realm. How are we supposed to follow the arrow?”

She rolled her eyes. “It will lead you gaze upon him, Emma. It will likely lead you to a magic mirror showing where he is or to a portal that will take you to him. Now, come on. We don’t have all day.”

“Ok, but…”

“But _what,_ Emma? What is the problem now?”

Emma didn’t reply and Regina pointed at the bow. “Go ahead.”

There was no reply and Regina rolled her eyes. “I swear to God, Emma. Shoot the damn arrow or I will _make_ you shoot it.”

“How on earth are you going to do that?”

No sooner than she asked the question, Regina flicked her wrist, and the arrow was notched in the bow ready to go. Emma suddenly felt a pressure in her wrist as she drew the bowstring back against her will.

“Wait, Regina! Don’t!”

_Flick_

The arrow shot from the bow and it began to travel. It turned around in a circle a few times and then landed.

Right at Regina’s feet.

“Um…” She stared at Emma who was turning redder by the second.

“Breathe, Swan.”

“I _am_ breathing.”

She laughed a little at that, but it sounded strangled, even to her own ears.

“Ok, look. It’s not that I…It’s just…you’re just so passionate about the people you care about. And no one talks to me. Not the real me, anyway. They all just see me as the Savior. I would be lonely without you.”

“You would?”

“I mean, yeah, of course I would. Look, I get that the book says we’re supposed to be enemies and everything, but we haven’t been in a really long time….and well….I guess I just….I don’t know.”

“Emma, stop.”

Mercifully, she was able to stop rambling at last and she took in a big gulp of air.

“Better?”

“Much. Thank you.”

Regina ignored that. “I thought you were trying to get back together with _Hook.”_

 _“Eww._ Regina, no.”

“Then why the hell were we looking for him?”

“So that I could dump his sorry ass for real this time. I mean, I don’t want him stuck in whatever hell hole Gideon sent him to because of me, but no. I definitely do not want to get back together with him.”

The world suddenly seemed just a little bit brighter. “So you don’t love Hook?”

Emma didn’t respond, just looked down at the arrow at Regina’s feet. “Doesn’t look like it.”

“Thank fucking God.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Well, because I have turned over a new leaf and if you _did_ love Hook, then it would be absolutely wrong of me to do this.” She leaned forward and brushed her lips over Emma’s in the smallest, softest kiss Emma had ever received.

“Wow. That was….”

“Yes?”

“It was perfect.”

She smirked at that. “Wait until the next one, dear. It will put that one to shame.”

“How long are you going to make me wait?”

“Not long at all.” She leaned in and kissed her again, deeper this time.

“Hey, Regina?”

“Yes?”

“You know what we should do now?”

“Enlighten me.” She sat down on the ground and reached her arm out for Emma to join her. Emma did, picking up the arrow and playing with it.

“We should go get a drink.”

The End


End file.
